Could James Hagens Be the Surprising Pick for the 2025 NHL Draft – Potentially by the Islanders?

LOS ANGELES — The mystery of the NHL draft Friday night surrounds James Hagens. 

There’s the question of whether the Long Island native who came into the season as the potential No. 1 pick could slide as far as 10th or 11th.

There’s the much-rumored possibility the Islanders will find a way to move back into the top 10 to take the hometown kid.

There’s the potential for both outcomes to intersect. 

“If I end up sliding in the draft, I’ll just go to the team that values me most,” Hagens mentioned on Thursday. “I plan to prove myself on the ice and I’m not concerned about it. Simply being here and getting selected is an honor. It doesn’t matter where I get picked; the draft itself is a privilege. Whatever team I join, there will always be a drive to prove something,” he added confidently.

Hagens, a Hauppauge native who grew up admiring John Tavares and attending games at both Nassau Coliseum and Barclays Center, could become a legend for the Islanders. If the team can negotiate a deal—considering the Bruins at No. 7 and the Mammoth at No. 4 are reportedly open to trading their picks—that results in acquiring Hagens, alongside Matthew Schaefer, who the Islanders are anticipated to select first, it would be a remarkable storyline.

Even though Hagens consistently states he is content with any outcome, it’s clear that staying close to home holds significant sentimental value both for him and for Islanders fans who have long awaited the chance to cheer for a local talent of his caliber.

“Somewhere you grew up, something you put so much pride in as a kid and still to this day, it’d be really something that would be really cool,” Hagens said. “Being able to come home, to go back to where it all started, it’d be special. 

“I’ve been around it for my whole life. It’s what got me to love hockey. It’s something I know and love.” 

If the Islanders attempt to move up, they could try to use either Noah Dobson or a package including some combination of Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Alexander Romanov and futures as the means of doing so. 

Dobson and Romanov are restricted free agents on July 1, and Dobson in particular looks like a possibility to move if the Islanders choose not to meet his contract demands. 

Hagens, of course, is not thinking in such terms. He just wants to hear his name called. 

“I don’t think you’d be disappointed getting picked by any team here,” he said. “It’s an exciting time wherever you go. You just want to be in a place that wants you.”